Educational Science

New Horizons: 5 Things Pluto Flyby Could Reveal About Planet Earth

Nine and a half years after it launched into space, a NASA probe is set to become the first spacecraft to fly by the dwarf planet Pluto. The New Horizons spacecraft is expected to make its closest approach tomorrow (July 14) at 7:49 a.m. EDT (1149 GMT), coming within 7,800...

1st Color Image of Pluto Snapped by Approaching NASA Probe (Photo)

NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto has returned its first color image of the dwarf planet and its largest moon, Charon. The new photo, taken on April 9 from a distance of about 71 million miles (115 million kilometers), is already revealing insights about Pluto and Charon, as well as...

HOUSTON — A group of renowned scientists, engineers, artists and others need your help to send a message into the universe aboard a spacecraft bound for Pluto. NASA's New Horizons mission — launched toward Pluto in 2006 — should be carrying a self-portrait of humanity when it flies into interstellar...

All 5 of Pluto's Known Moons Spied by NASA Probe (Photo)

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has snapped its first-ever family portrait of the Pluto system, capturing the dwarf planet and all five of its known moons. New Horizons, which is speeding toward a historic flyby of Pluto on July 14, took a series of images from April 25 through May 1...

Hello, Pluto! NASA Spacecraft Makes Historic Dwarf Planet Flyby

The first age of solar system exploration is in the books. NASA's New Horizons probe flew by Pluto this morning (July 14), capturing history's first up-close looks at the far-flung world — if all went according to plan. (Mission team members won't declare success until they hear from New Horizons...

Will Pluto Ever Hit Neptune?

Jason asks: Since Pluto's orbit intersects Neptune's orbit, will Pluto ever crash into Neptune or become one of Neptune's moons? Answer: No. From 1979 to 1999, Pluto was the eighth planet from the sun. In 1999, it slipped beyond Neptune to become the ninth. But Pluto's 248-year orbit around the...

Let's Name Pluto Moons 'Vulcan' and 'Romulus,' William Shatner Says

Astronomers put out the call this week for cosmic names worthy of the two unnamed moons of Pluto, and Captain James T. Kirk has answered. Famed actor William Shatner, who portrayed the iconic Star Trek starship captain, wants to call them Vulcan and Romulus. Pluto has five moons but only...

'Vulcan' and 'Cerberus' Win Pluto Moon Naming Poll

The votes are in, and it looks like 'Vulcan' could be the new name for one of Pluto's smallest moons. After weeks of online ballot casting by people around the world, the poll asking the public to name two of Pluto's moons — currently called P4 and P5 — ended...

'Vulcan' Warps Into Lead in Pluto Moon Name Contest

For William Shatner, the actor who portrayed Star Trek captain James T. Kirk, naming one of Pluto's moons Vulcan is the only logical choice, and more than 100,000 apparent Trek fans agree. Shatner proposed Vulcan as a potential name for one of Pluto's moons, the recently discovered P4 and P5,...

Pluto at Last! NASA Spacecraft Arrives for Dwarf Planet Close-Up Tuesday

The long wait is almost over. On Tuesday morning (July 14) — nine and a half years after launching, and a quarter-century after its mission began to take shape — NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will perform history's first flyby of Pluto. Closest approach will occur at 7:49 a.m. EDT (1149...